Barely Breathing
by marianaber
Summary: When Caroline Stilinski is left to take care of her brother Stiles, she is forced to work a boring job that barely gets her bills paid. When she thought nothing interesting would ever happen, she meets Derek Hale, and her whole world is turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

The sun was slowly hiding in the horizon in the lovely summer afternoon. Another day had come and gone, and nothing nearly interesting had happened on Caroline's life. She stopped for a second to admire the beautiful orange appearing in the sky, and then turned back to clean the table next to her. Only a couple of minutes were left before her shift ended, and she was hoping she didn't have to clean anything else, or deal with another annoying costumer. She hated being a waitress. There was nothing exiting about it. On the contrary, it was really boring, and each day she ended exhausted. But she needed a job, and she hadn't managed to find another. She had to work most of the day, and it was poorly paid, but at least she could make ends meet. Barely.

Just as she was walking out of the diner, her phone rang. Seeing who was calling her, she doubted whether she should answer. Molly always had the worst ideas ever, and even worst timing. But she was her best friend, and she'd feel very bad for ignoring her.

"This better be good," she said exasperatingly. "I've just finished, and I´m not in the mood for bullshit."  
"There's no need to be rude my dear. I only have good news," answer her friend, clearly amused.  
"I know your definition of "good news". Say it already so I can say no, get home, and go to bed."  
"None of that tonight! I'm picking you up in an hour." That was all she said, and then hung up.

Once again, Molly had managed to annoy her. Every last bit of her body was in pain, and the last thing she wanted was to stay up all night doing something crazy with her friend, who had an uncanny ability to always get on her nerves. She truly loved her, but they were too different. Molly was from a rich family, and didn't need to work her ass off, while she had to work on a job she hated to support both her and her brother. Her parents had died on a car crash two years ago, and she was left to take care of her teenage brother. And although Molly was very supportive, she just didn't understand what they were going through.

"Stiles!" she yelled as she closed the door behind her. Her sixteen-year-old brother didn't answer. "Stiles, are you home?" she asked again, without any hope of getting an answer.

She went for a shower, letting the water slowly wash away the worries and the pain. Of course, it wasn't enough. But at least the warm water touching her skin calmed her.

She got out, and put the baggiest and most comfortable clothes she could find. It was something she always did when she was tired, and this time, it would also scare Molly away. She brushed her hair and was drying it with her towel when the bell rang. She opened the door to find her friend on the other side.

"Howdy," Molly greeted her, imitating a southerner cowboy.  
"Aren't you chirpy today? It's really annoying. I'm really hoping you won't stay long. ´Cause I'm really very tired."  
"May I point out the overuse of the word really?" Molly mocked her. "There will be no sleeping today, my love. I'm taking you to the biggest party of the year. And you can't say no."  
"Hm, maybe I forgot to mention I'm exhausted? And that is a no. A pretty definite one."  
"Oh, c'mon! I know tomorrow's your day off. You can sleep all day if you want. But tonight we're going out. Lots of _really_ very hot men," she tried to say as convincingly as possible.  
"It's not just that I'm tired. I don't want to go out." Even though Carol put up a fight, Molly ended convincing her.  
"C'mon, I'll help you get dressed," Molly said just as Stiles opened the door.  
"Hello sis," he greeted his sister. "Oh, hello sweetheart," he said to Molly in a flirtatious way. "Looking good."  
"As always," she answered.  
"Oh stop it. He's my little brother, you perv," complained Caroline.  
"Are you girls going somewhere?"  
"Only the best party ever."  
"The Whitmore's party?" asked the teen with a surprised and exited look on his face.  
"Oh, yeah!" Molly answered in an equally thrilling voice.  
"Can I please come?"  
"Absolutely not. Don't you have homework to do?" his sister said, more like an order than like a question.  
"All right. Have fun for me," he said as he headed to his bedroom. He suddenly turned on his heels, as if he had forgotten something. "And give Jackson my regards."

* * *

The music was so loud Caroline couldn't understand a word Molly was saying. She could only see her friend's face, and the only thing she could make out was that she was leaving with some guy she had met. A million different ways to kill her friend for ditching her crossed her mind. First, she makes a fuss about how "awesome" the party was going to be, then completely ignores her most of the night, and ends up leaving with someone neither of them knew. She was not only angry, but also very frustrated.

She started walking towards the door, only to realize Molly was her ride, and now she was gone. "Great," she thought. And to make things worse, her ex-boyfriend was walking towards her.

"Hey gorgeous," said Jackson. "How do you like my party?"  
"I don't," was Carol's irritated answer. "Excuse me, I'm trying to leave."  
"But the night is only starting."  
"Maybe. But I'm still leaving," this time she sounded more angry. She walked out of the house to finally breathe some fresh air. She turned around and saw Jackson following her. "What do you want Jackson?"  
"To remember old times," he said and pulled her closer to him, forcing her to a kiss. She struggled to separate herself from him.  
"What the hell are you doing? You are clearly drunk."  
"Well, maybe I am. So what? Come closer," this time he grabbed her so strongly he was hurting her. And again, he kissed her. She tried to get rid of him, but he wouldn't let her go.  
"Stop it. I don't want this! You're hurting me! Stop!" she started yelling, but he still had hold of her. He was too strong, but she kept struggling. Then, out of the blue, he let go her as he was tackled to the ground. The stranger was holding him to the floor, with his hands on his throat.  
"Do you not know what the world _stop_ means?" he asked. "She wanted you to stop. Next time someone tells you to stop, you stop. Or else you won't live to tell the tale. Do you understand me?"  
"Yes," answered Jackson. "I understand," he said, and the strong man released him.

He got up and turned to look at Carol, who was still shaken by what had happened. It was then she had a chance to take a look at him. Saying he was handsome didn't even begin to describe him. She noticed his big blue eyes, and felt like she could get lost in them. His face looked as if it had being sculpted, and the lines of his jaw were just perfect.

"Are you ok?" he asked her. "Did he hurt you?"  
"Oh, no. I'm ok. Thank you. I tried to fight back, but he was too strong."  
"Well, don't worry. He won't do that again," he said as he turned around to look at Jackson, who looked frightened, and was trying to recover from the fall. "I'm Derek, by the way. Derek Hale."  
"Nice to meet you Derek. I'm Carol. Thanks again."  
"I believe you were leaving, weren't you."  
"Yes, I was just getting tired of being here," she smiled to him, and he smiled back. He noticed she was still shaking, and realized she was cold.  
"You're cold," he said as he took his jacket off, and put it gently around her arms.  
"Oh, thanks. But you shouldn't…" he interrupted her.  
"It's no problem. Would you like me to walk you home?"  
"That won't be necessary. Really. You have done more than enough," her face turned red.  
"Yes, it is necessary. I'm not letting you go alone."  
"There's no way to change your mind, is there?" she said with a grin on her face.  
"Absolutely not," was his answer. And they started to walk down the road.

Her house wasn't too far away. But still she felt terrible for making him walk all the way. While they were walking, she talked about herself. She told him about her parents' death, and the little brother she had to take care of now. She didn't quite know why, but she just knew she could trust him. And that scared her. She never trusted everyone. Saying she had trusting issues was an understatement. But Derek was different. There was something about him she just couldn't put a finger on.

"So, I've told you about me. Won't you say something about you?"  
"I don't have much to say, really," he said.  
"Oh, c'mon. There must be _something_?" He gave her a blank look. "Fine. You don't have to say anything. I know what it's like to have trusting issues. We're here. This is my house," she said while pointing at the old house. "It was the only thing our parents left for us. Thank you, for everything. The saving, the walking me home, the jacket," she took it off and offered it to him.  
"You're very welcome. So, I guess I'll see you around."  
"Sure. You know where to find me," she told him as she walked up the stairs. She turned around and waved at him. "Goodbye Derek. And Goodnight."  
"Goodbye, Caroline."

* * *

First story that I dare publishing! So hoping at least someone would read it.


	2. Chapter 2

The night was quiet and cold. Something about that girl had Derek swooning. It had been a long time since he had felt that way. His jacket smelled like her. It was such a sweet scent, and was now imprinted in his mind.

He was so distracted by her thought he didn't notice the clear scent of a wolf following him. But hearing a branch crack behind him, he snapped out of it. He turned around, his eyes glowing red, and his claws starting to grow on his hands. He looked around him, half shifted, but even with his wolf sight, he found no one. He took a deep breath to smell the wind, and he realized the scent was gone. Someone definitely had been there, but was now gone. There was, however, something wrong in the way the air smelled. He followed his nose, not quite knowing what he would find.

He walked well into the forest, heading towards the line of trees ahead of him, always following the scent. Whatever it was, it reeked, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that it was dead. He finally stumbled upon a huge trunk. He pulled his phone to direct the light to what was in front of him. Although what he found was disgusting, Derek was not surprised. His nose never deceived him. At first, he thought it was a dog. But taking a better look, he realized it was a cub. A wolf cub. Just the thought of it infuriated him. Wolves, especially cubs, were very special to him. He felt a connection with the animals that he didn't have with anyone else. Plus, there were no wolves in California. This one was obviously brought from somewhere else. Somebody had killed it, and left it here, for Derek to see. He examined the lifeless body, to find out its neck was broken, and the body was arranged in an unnatural way. It was lying on the ground on its back, just as a human, forming an X with all four of its legs. It had been put like this for a reason: it was a message. A message for the Alpha. A message for him.

But that wasn't all. Right above the cub's head was a symbol, written in the animal's blood. He was not entirely sure of what it was or what it meant. It was a dark circle, and from it many thin lines sprung out, like a sun with its rays. It looked like a very ordinary symbol, but with a deeper meaning. Even though he was not yet sure of the exact meaning, he knew it could only mean trouble.

* * *

"Are you sure, Derek," asked his uncle Peter as he sat in his usual stool at the diner.  
"I know what I saw. It was a wolf cub, and someone had put it there," answered Derek irritated. His uncle was supposed to be helpful, but he was still not used to Derek being the Alpha, nor had he recovered from coming back to life. So all he did was nagging his nephew and doubt everything he said. "But I don't know what it means."  
"It means something bad. Very bad. As werewolves, we are considered to be the descendants and protectors of the wolf. Without them we wouldn´t exist. So there is a bond between us that should never be severed. So when a werewolf, or someone else, does something like this, it is because they have no respect for them, and therefore, no respect for us. Tell me more about the symbol."  
"There's nothing exceptional about it," said Derek with a frown. "I just have a bad feeling."  
"The way the cub was arranged, it's something our ancestors used to do when they had a feud with a rival pack. It was a way of signaling them to stay away. Maybe that's what the message was. Like a threat. But not knowing what the symbol means, the message is incomplete. Have you thought of asking Scott for help?" Derek cooked an eyebrow.  
"He is already too involved with this. I wanted him to have a normal life."  
"More like, you're afraid of him." Derek looked daggers at his uncle. "You know of his potential, don't you."  
"Of course I do. But it isn't like that. Anyway, I'm not discussing him with you." He had a face on Peter knew very well. It was the "Shut up. I don't trust and I'm tired of your bullshit" face.  
"All right then. Oh here comes the waitress, so shut up," Peter pointed out.  
"Hello Peter," greeted the waitress. Derek looked at her and his jaw dropped. It was her! It was the beautiful girl he'd saved at the party.  
"Hello darling," Peter greeted her as well. "Meet my nephew, Derek." And that was when she looked at him, and realized who he was.  
"Hello Caroline," said Derek with a smirk.  
"Oh, God. It's you. How have you been?"  
"I've been ok. I was wondering when I would see you again." They both smiled.  
"Hold on," exclaimed Peter. "You two know each other?"  
"Well, in a nutshell, yes," Peter noticed how Derek mood changed when he saw her. The grim ambience changed completely, and now he seemed as if he was shining.  
"Peter comes here all the time," said Carol and Peter blushed. "I never thought you two could be related. I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got work to do. What can I get you?" After both of them ordered, she left with a swing of her pigtail. And then Peter's interrogation began.  
"What on God's creation, sweetheart? You smell like cake and rainbows."  
"I don't understand that reference," he should have been annoyed, but after seeing Carol, he just could not. He was happy, and all his worries had gone.  
"I mean you're smitten with this girl. Tell me the whole story," and so he did. Not in detail, just the general idea. His uncle knew him, and this was something different, something special. "This girl has made an impression on you. I can tell. Good for you! Maybe you will stop being a cranky whining little girl." That's when she came on with their food.  
"There you go," she smiled at Derek again, and he smiled back.  
"Thank you. May I ask you something?"  
"Of course," she said with a grin.  
"Could I pick you up and walk you home after your shift? Like the other night," for a reason he could not understand, he was afraid she would say no. A rush of anxiety crossed his whole body.  
"Sure," her face reddened and a grin appeared on her face. "I'm finished at seven."  
"I'll be here," said Derek. He saw the amused look on Peter, and felt an urge to punch him. But he stopped himself for Carol's sake. The beautiful girl glanced at him from the table she was now cleaning, and he couldn't help but smile like an idiot. "Tonight's gonna be a good night," he thought to himself.

* * *

The first star was just appearing in the sky when Caroline walked out of the diner. She knew Derek would be waiting for her, and the anxiety she was feeling was heightened. She looked around her, but didn't see him. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and turned around. She made a jump, and her heart skipped a beat. Derek was staring at her, smiling, his eyes focused on her.

"Derek! You scared the living daylights out of me!" she exclaimed, letting go of the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.  
"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized worriedly. "I didn't mean to scare you."  
"Well, it's ok," she said as they started walking towards her house. "So, you were so secretive about your life and your family, and it turns out I knew your uncle. The world is a tiny place."  
"It's bigger than you think, actually." She tried to get him to tell her more about himself, but he would always evade her questions. He could see the irritation on her, and he wished he could tell her all about him. He really wanted to. But in doing so, he'd be putting her in danger. "Honestly, there's nothing interesting about me. I'm alone, except for Peter. But we barely see each other, and when we do we fight most of the time."  
"What happened to your family then?" she asked.  
"They died in a fire a few years ago. Most people in this town know about it."  
"Well, I wouldn't really know. My family and I moved here only five years ago. I'm sure it must have been before that."  
"I wasn't there. I was at school with my sister Laura. But Peter was there. He was the only survivor," he looked blank, and Carol couldn't figure out what he was thinking of. She felt so sad for him, and regretted having asked.  
"I'm so sorry, Derek. I didn't mean to upset you. But you are a mystery to me, and it kills me not knowing. I wanna know more about you. But we don't have to talk about it," she smiled.  
"I know. And I want to tell you, but you have to give me more time," his eyes were begging her to trust him and to not ask him anything else.  
"Ok. I'll wait for you."

They continued to talk about their day, and all the _normal_ things that had happened to her today. He wished he could be normal as she was. Maybe then they would have a chance to be together. And that's when he realized. He wanted to be with her. He was falling for this girl. For the first time, he wanted to be with someone. That was both, exiting and scary. And he was afraid for her, and afraid he might have to let her go completely. They might never be able to be together. It was too dangerous to be with Derek Hale.

"We're here," Caroline's voice took him out of his thoughts. He saw a glimpse of someone watching them from a window, but whoever it was disappeared, and he doubted whether they had really been there. "Thanks again Derek. I would not be mad if this became a regular thing."  
"Neither would I," he said.  
"Would you like to come in for a drink?" she asked him, in the hope she was not being too direct.  
"That'd be great, but I can't," he said apologetically. And he meant it because nothing at that moment could be better than staying with her. But he had a million things on his plate, and he had to act fast.  
"That's alright," she assured him, but a bit of disappointment showed in her eyes. "Maybe another time."  
"Absolutely. Goodbye Carol," he said, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Her face turned red in a second, and her eyes were wide open. The touch of his lips on her cheek was soft and warm, and she felt flattered. "Don't be silly," she said to herself. "It's just a kiss in a cheek. It's just a friendly gesture." But it felt like a lot more than that. And then she knew she wanted it to be more. She wanted it. She wanted _him_. She might be falling in love.

* * *

From the window of his bedroom, Stiles was looking at the scene. His beloved sister was walking home with the big bad wolf. After everything Derek had put him and his friends through, he dared befriend, and Lord knows what else, with his sister? He felt a rush of anger, and clenched his fists. He thought of going right there and punch Derek. But after thinking it through, he realized that wasn't smart. His sister would never forgive him, and then Derek would always be the victim. But something had to be done. He took another look, and saw the Alpha kissing his sister's cheek. He was burning with rage. He walked downstairs, and got to the door just as Carol was entering the house.

"What the hell was that?" he screamed at her.  
"What the hell was what?" she answered quizzically. "That was Derek, he's just a friend."  
"I know who he is. You have to stay away from him!"  
"What are you talking about, Stiles?" she asked, starting to sound irritated.  
"He is dangerous. I can't allow this to happen. You and him, it's not gonna work."  
"Excuse me. Don't you think that's something I should figure out myself? I'm not a child, Stiles. You are. What could you possibly know about danger and relationships? I thought you'd be happy for me," her eyes started to flood with tears. "I've done everything for you. Work my ass off, barely have time to sleep, never got out. I've only have one friend. _One!_ And now that I find someone that, not only saved me from getting sexually assaulted, but could potentially be a friend, or more than a friend, you scream at me? That's not fair."  
"Wait, what? Sexually assaulted?" Stiles' face changed from angry to worry, and he ran to his sister to hug her. "What are you talking about?"  
"It's not a big deal, dear brother. I didn't tell you about it because I didn't want you to worry. It was at the party," she said.  
"It was Jackson, wasn't it? That son of a bitch. I'll kill him."  
"That won't be necessary. Derek told him off, and that's how we met," she smiled at the thought of her handsome hero.  
"Caroline," he parted from her and took her face with his hands. "I don't want anything to hurt you. I know you don't see it now, but I'm only trying to protect you. You are not just my sister. Since mom and dad died, you've been my parent as well. And I feel the need to keep you safe."  
"You mustn't worry, brother. He won't hurt me. I know." Stiles saw the look on his sister face. She was so happy and glowing, he didn't have the heart to tell her about Derek's true self.  
"Fine. I'll give him a chance. But promise me you'll be careful."  
"I promise."

* * *

Thanks everyone for reading! I really hope you would like what's coming..


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you sure he's here?" asked Stiles exasperated. Scott had never seen his best friend more furious.  
"Of course I'm sure. I've followed his scent," answered Scott calmly, though worried. He could feel Stiles anger, and that was an emotion you could hardly ever see in him, which made him unpredictable, at best. "What do you want with him?"  
"I want to kick the crap out of him, that's what I want," Stiles answered as he burst open the doors of the old Hale house. "Is he still living here?"  
"No, he's not," said the unmistakable voice of Derek from the area that used to be the living room. It was uncanny how often the abandoned and burned house played host for all kinds of reunions, including some very bizarre ones. Stiles walked towards Derek, ready to punch him in the face, with a frown on his forehead. "Is there something wrong, Stiles?"  
"You are so dead," he said as he clenched his fist. And he would have punched him, had he not known Derek would barely even feel it, and probably break all his bones in return. "After everything you've done to us! You had to go and take the only family I've got left!"  
"Stiles, what the hell are you talking about?" asked Derek in total confusion.  
"I'm talking about you flirting with my sister," he practically screamed at him. The Alpha could feel how angry Stiles was, but most of all, how desperate he was. All he wanted to do was to protect his only sister. But he didn't know that Derek had no idea who Stiles' sister was.  
"I don't even know your sister," he said calmly. He did not want to ruffle any more feathers.  
"Oh, spare me. I know you know exactly who she is."  
"Stiles, I swear. I don't know…" he stopped abruptly. "Oh, Caroline. She is your sister."  
"Yes, she is. The least you could have done was telling me the truth."  
"Stiles, I swear to you. I had no idea," he claimed. "I had never seen her until the party. You know we had never met."  
"Well, I don't believe you," he declared. "But it doesn't matter because now you know. So stay away from her!"  
"I can't. Please don't ask me to do that, because I can't."  
"You can't or you won't?" said Stiles irritated.  
"Both," he said after a short pause. "I don't think you would understand. She's something special." He looked at the floor, as if he was sorry for falling for Stiles' sister. He did know how much they had been hurt because of him. He did not want to cause any of them more pain. But he also did not want to say goodbye to her when they had barely said hello. "You think I hadn't thought about leaving her? Everything I touch ends up broken. Even if she wasn't your sister, all I want is to keep her safe. But how can I leave her? I've never felt like this before. When she's away, all I can think about is seeing her. And when we're together, I have to use all my strength not to kiss her."  
"I understand that. I've felt like that before. But I still don't want you near her."  
"And what will you do to stop me?"

Derek was starting to feel angry too. It wasn't fair that Stiles was doing this to him. They were both looking at each other. Stiles fists were clenched again, and he was ready to fight. He knew against the wolf he didn't stand a chance. But he didn't care. His sister what all he had left, and he was not about to give up on her. He was willing to fight for her, die even. But so was Derek. And here they were. The weak little brother and the softy wolf in love. Both ready to tear each other apart to keep Caroline. Somebody had to knock some sense into these two idiots.

"Stop this," yelled Scott. "Look at you two. Ready to fight for someone who would be very disappointed if she saw this little scene. And by the way, don't you think it is her decision? Stiles, don't you care about her happiness? What if this is what she wants? I think she has a say in all of this. And Derek, are you sure killing Carol's only brother would get you closer to her? One scratch and she would never forgive you." They looked at each other, both knowing Scott was right. But they still weren't ready to let it go. After a long awkward pause of clenching fists and staring daggers at each other, Derek was the first to give up.  
"Scott's right," he said. "Don't think that's easy for me to admit. But he is."  
"I agree," declared Stiles. "And in all fairness, I did promise her I'd give you a chance. But that's a promise I never intended to keep. But I want her safe!"  
"I understand. Perhaps I should back down. But can you at least let me try? If I see that things won't work, I'll let her go."  
"All right. But you have to tell her the truth. Tell her what you are," demanded the boy. All this time, he hadn't told her anything about the supernatural world. He wanted to keep her out of it, to protect her. But he was willing to sacrifice that for her happiness. If she wanted to be with Derek, she had to do so knowing what she was getting into. "If you don't do it, I will."

* * *

"So tell me, how is him?" asked Molly while playing with her hair. She was laying on Caroline's sofa, as she often did after a long day's work.  
"He's… mysterious," she answered. "I don't know how to describe him. To be honest, I don't know him that much."  
"Well then, how is he physically?"  
"Oh, he's incredibly hot. I mean, you have to see it yourself to believe it," she assured her, just as the bell rang.  
"You didn't tell me you were expecting company," Molly complained.  
"I'm not," guaranteed her friend.

Carol walked towards the door and opened the door. She was surprised to see Derek standing there, staring at her with the sweetest smile on his face. In his hand he was holding a bunch of beautiful flowers, which he handed to her. They were not the typical flowers you take to a girl. Not roses or the most common daisies. They were red and orange gerberas, Carol's favorite flowers in her favorite colors.

"Derek, they're beautiful! You shouldn't have bothered," she said cheerfully.  
"It was no bother. I hope this doesn't sound bad, but it was Stiles that told me your favorite flowers, if you were wondering."  
"Yes, actually I was," she said while looking at him. "I didn't know you knew my brother. Would you like to come in?" she asked him as she made way for him to enter.  
"Yes," he said as he walked into the house. "I'm friends with Scott, actually. Kind of his mentor. And whenever Scott goes, Stiles usually goes too."  
"Oh, yes," she said laughing as she closed the door. "It's true. Let me get this into water." She walked towards the kitchen and Derek followed her.  
"Nice house. It's good to finally be able to come inside."  
"Thanks," she said and smiled at him. Derek was a stream of emotions inside. His heart was beating madly, as it always did whenever she was near him. "Oh, I forgot Molly!" she suddenly remembered. "She's in the living. Come with me," she insisted.

Molly was of course waiting. She had heard their conversation and she knew she was about to meet the famous Derek. "About damn time," she thought. And then they walked in. Caroline had not lied to her. In fact, the whole description was an understatement. Not only he had a beautiful face, he had an amazing body. She stood there looking at him, trying not to be rude or too evident.

"You must be Molly," he said and extended his hand to her.  
"That's correct," she stated as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. I'd love to stay and chat, but I must be on my way."  
"You don't want to stay?" asked Caroline, but only to be polite. She knew why her friend was leaving, and she was perfectly okay with that.  
"Well, I told you I had to go. Things to do, you know." Of course she was lying. She wanted to leave them alone, and Carol knew it. And clearly she wasn't complaining. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she opened the door. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hale."

They both looked at each other. The situation was new to both of them, and they didn't quite know how to handle it. It was the first time they were alone in a room, and that was, not only awkward, but also very frightening because this would be a make or break point in their relationship. And it was worse for Derek because he had to tell her the truth now. He had promised Stiles.

"Is Stiles home?" he asked to break the ice. Though he knew where he really was.  
"Actually, he's staying at Scott's tonight. That's happening a lot lately," she said, although Derek knew that already. Stiles had agreed to give them some space, so that Derek could figure out what was going on between them, and tell her the truth.  
"Right," said Derek. He did not know how to start the "I'm a wolf" conversation. "So…"  
"Derek," Caroline interrupted him. He hadn't realized she could sense the awkwardness. "What's going on? 'Cause I don't think I can pretend there's nothing wrong here. I know it, you know it. Let's talk about the elephant in the room."  
"Well, the thing is I don't know how," he admitted. "I have to tell you something."  
"So it's true, then. You haven't come here for small talk."  
"I wish I had, but no," his eyes saddened. What he was about to tell her was very a delicate matter. And she could react in so many different ways. So it was scary. "This is going to sound very crazy, and you will probably hate me, and never want to see me again. Or it might be too mad and you won't believe me at all, and want me to stay away from you anyway. Either way, I have to tell you. I promised Stiles."  
"My brother? What you're about to tell me, is this why he was so upset when he saw us the other night?"  
"Probably," said Derek without a pause. "It's also why he almost punched me in the face."  
"Did he, now?" She started laughing. That was so typical of him, trying to protect her at all costs, even if it meant fighting someone bigger and older than him. "Well, out with it. Tell me. Stop stalling and just tell me."  
"Ok. But don't tell me I didn't warn you before." He took a deep breath and said "I am a werewolf."


	4. Chapter 4

"You what?" exclaimed Caroline with her mouth wide open and a raised eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? Because if this is a bad joke…" she was interrupted by an anxious Derek.  
"Carol I'm serious. I wish I wasn't," he said honestly. "That's why Stiles was so freaked out when he saw us. We'd been through so much together, him and I. Scott is a werewolf too. And I'm an Alpha, actually. And also there's…"  
"An Alpha?" she asked quizzically, interrupting him halfway through a sentence. All this information was too much for her too quickly. "No, actually, shut up. Don't tell me anything else. I'm calling my brother."  
"Why?" Derek asked worried. He had hoped she would believe him. And now she was calling Stiles, and he didn't know what that meant. Maybe she would want to throw his stinking werewolf ass out of there. And she'd be right to do so.  
"For confirmation. Or the other way around." She had to ask Stiles because she couldn't believe any of this. If she called him, her brother would tell her that the man was crazy, and she would have a good reason to get him out for good, since she had realized that was exactly what she might have to do and couldn't do it without a proper excuse. She did not want to but she would if she had to. A sad look appeared on her face. It wasn't fair. They had barely met, and for a stupid joke she would now have to tell him to go away. The phone rang three times before Stiles answered.

"_Hello, sis,_" the voice of her brother, so cheerful, reassured her. At least someone was having a good time._ "What's up?" _  
"Stiles? The "Alpha" is here," she said in a sarcastic way. Apparently, sarcasm ran through Stilinski veins. Silence fell at the other side of the phone. "So, is this some stupid nonsense or what?"  
"_Sis, I can't explain right now, but everything he says is true._" All blood drained from Caroline's head. It was one thing that Derek was treating her like a fool, but her brother? How dare him. "_Carol, are you there?_" asked Stiles worried for the long pause from his sister.  
"Stiles stop this. Stop it, ok? This isn't fun," she started to sound angry.  
"_Look, I promised Derek I'd give you both some space. So, let him explain you, and we'll talk tomorrow. I think it's best that way. I have to go. I love you very much. Don't ever forget it,"_ he said and then hung up.

Caroline glared at Derek, and the wolf looked at her with tenderness. She sat on the couch and showed him, without a word, to do the same. "Start from the beginning," she said. And so he did. He told her how his family was burnt by the hunters, about his uncle and sister being, with him, the only ones who were left. He told her about Peter losing his mind, killing his sister to become an Alpha, and how he turned Scott. He decided that was enough information for one night and that, if she didn't run away, he would tell her the rest later. He was hoping they would have a lot of time to cover all topics in the future. For some inexplicable reason, he still believed there was a future for them. "This can't end like this," he said to himself.

There was a long pause after that. Neither of them had the courage to talk, but they didn't know what to say anyway. The girl was struggling to cope with all the new information, and for a moment she even forgot she wasn't alone. And then, completely out of the blue, she burst out laughing. When had things gone so mad? She couldn't even believe this was reality, and she wondered whether she was dreaming. Suddenly she remembered Derek was there with her and she turned to look at him. What she saw was something she didn't expect to see.

Tears were rolling down his cheek and an utterly sad expression had taken over his gloomy face. This made her so confused. If anything, she was the one that was supposed to be crying. And the "so called Alpha" was crying instead. Didn't that mean he was the strongest one in the pack? She mentally slapped herself for being so stereotypical. "Boys don't cry" was a stupid statement and not true at all. It was actually touching that he was brave enough to let his emotions show.

"Derek," she said. "What's wrong?"  
"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I tell you my life story and, not only you don't believe me, but you actually laugh about it. But that's okay, I understand. The point is that now you and I are never going to be an "us", are we?"  
"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I'm the idiot. I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know why I did. I guess this is too much for me. Will you forgive me?"  
"Forgive you?" he said tenderly as he held her face with his hands. "There's nothing I should forgive you for. It's you who must forgive me. I've dropped a bomb on you and then I expect you to believe and understand me right away. That was unfair of me."  
"Let's say we're both forgiven then," she said as she reached for his hands that were still holding her face. "Derek, you're so beautiful, you know? And I really do hope there's a future for us. I'll probably need time to adjust to this brave new world. But I want you to know I believe you. There's no way you're faking. I can see you're telling me the truth. We'll make it work."  
"Are you saying that even after everything I've told you, the mad and impossible, you are still willing to give us a chance?"  
"Yes," she answered with a grin. "How could I not?" she said with a shrug of her shoulders "You're special. You really are. And I appreciate you telling me the truth. That means you want to be honest, and that isn't a quality you see in men these days."

Having her so close, his hands on her hands, it was more than he could bear. He thought of all the times he had to stop himself from kissing her, and how all those times had been easy compared to this moment. And so he realized he couldn't stop himself this time. Damned be self-control! He leaned over her, and whispered a soft "thank you" in her ear and kissed her cheek gently. Then he turned to face her, looking into her beautiful green eyes. They smiled at each other, and he reached to touch her face. His heart began to race, and he could hear her heart racing too. He got closer to her, almost touching her lips with his, but not going all the way. He wasn't sure that was what she wanted, so he didn't push. Instead, he waited a second to see her reaction. Her heart was pounding faster now. She wanted it just as much as he did. He gently pulled her closer, and finally their lips touched. He was so much warmer than any other man she'd known. He grabbed her neck with his hands as she reached for his chest. She slightly opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to pierce through her lips with a low moan. Running her fingers through his chest, she discovered a perfect set of abs that seemed to have been sculpted. Everything about that man was perfect. She didn't want to ever let him go, and neither did he. He pulled himself from her, looking at her intently. He couldn't believe how amazing this woman was. "She wants to be with me even though she knows I'm a monster," he thought.

"I'm so lucky for having you," he told her. "And I'm sorry if that was too fast. I just couldn't help myself. My heart races like crazy whenever you're around."  
"The same happens to me," she assured him. "But perhaps we should go a little slower. If it were for me, I'd kiss you all night. But I don't think that would be wise. I'm going to need more time."  
"I understand," he said. "So, I guess it would be best if I leave. I will see you tomorrow, I hope."

She walked him to the door, barely able to take her eyes off of him. She was so happy, but sad at the same time. She knew it wouldn't be easy getting used to the supernatural world, especially the part where she was dating a werewolf. If that's what it was. What were they? Were they dating? Because one kiss didn't exactly mean that they were. They had to figure all of that out later. For now, she was happy to know he was there for her.

"Goodnight, my handsome hero," she said. He leaned over to kiss her one more time. The perfect goodbye kiss.

* * *

"I wonder what they're doing now," said Stiles while he paced around Scott's room.  
"Stiles please stay still," Scott begged his best friend. "You're gonna make a hole in the floor. And you're driving me crazy!"  
"Sorry. No, I'm not, actually. If it were you, it would be worse. You'd be out wolfing out, maybe killing something."  
"That's not how it works, you dumbass," said Scott irritated. Everybody always assumed that werewolves killed bunnies for their insatiable cravings. It wasn't like that. Not always, at least. "She'll be fine. She's always fine."  
"But he's probably telling her the whole story now. I should be there with her. You know what? I'm going," he said as he took his coat from Scott's bed.  
"No, you're not," Scott stopped him. "You promised."

Even if Stiles didn't want to agree with him, he knew his friend was right. He promised Derek, and his sister knew he had. He'd be breaking a promised to both of them. But that didn't stop the butterflies in his stomach. "I should have put an end to this," he thought. "She deserves better." He finally gave up on his parade, and threw himself in the bed. He watched as Scott fixed his lacrosse stick. There were only a few days left before his first match of the season, and Scott wanted to be completely focused on it. With all the werewolf issues they had lately, that seemed improbable.

Some strange things had been happening in Beacon Hills, but they didn't know what. Starting with the outbreak of strange animal behavior that seemed to be plaguing the town, and then with the wolves that had gone missing. The two teens knew something was coming, and they also knew Derek knew what it was. But he was not telling them.

"Why do you think Derek isn't talking? Because he's a two faced douche bag, perhaps?" Stiles inquired.  
"What are you talking about?" Scott asked confused. "Are we still talking about your sister?"  
"No. What I mean is, with everything that's being happening, why hasn't he told us what's going on? He's the Alpha, right? He's bound to know."  
"I don't know. Last time we talked he said he wanted me to have a normal life. I'm fine with that."  
"No, you're not," Stiles called him out on his lies. "You are the kind of person who wants to take care of everyone. Not knowing is killing you. All you want to do is help."

Scott opened his mouth to say something but stopped after hearing a noise coming from outside. Scott went into defense mode, with his eyes glowing gold. He sniffed the air, picking out a scent. It was definitely a wolf. He gestured Stiles to be quiet as he stood behind the young wolf. Something about the scent was familiar, and he recognized it. "I'm an idiot," he said. He had panicked for nothing.

"Yes, you are," said the newcomer as he entered through the window. "I'm not here to eat you."  
"You didn't recognize the scent?" asked Stiles mockingly. "I can't believe you didn't recognize Isaac's scent."  
"Ok, I'm a bit paranoid. So bite me."  
"If you want," Isaac said. "But I'm not here for that either, this time. You both need to come with me. It's time for you to finally know what's going on."

* * *

I'd like to thank everyone who's reading, especially those who have reviewed. This is the first time I ever publish, and to be honest I didn't expect anyone to even read it, so thanks!

One thing I want to clarify, I'm not strictly speaking a Scott/Isaac shipper, and I was not going to write them as a ship, but it just sort of happened. Though I don't know how far I'm going to take them yet. We'll see.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, this is where he's living now," said Stiles as he entered Derek's home.  
"Yes, and he doesn't know you're coming, so don't touch anything," Isaac warned Stiles just as he reached to grab something shiny from the table.  
"Why are we here?" asked Scott with a frown.  
"Derek is not telling you some things you should know. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't care. But I can't keep this from you," he said smiling at Scott.  
"Ok, so tell us," urged the young wolf. He looked at Isaac and realized he was worried. He knew him too well to know what that look meant. Something bad was happening. No wonder Isaac wanted him to know. But why didn't Derek?  
"Here," Isaac said as he passed Scott a piece of paper with a drawing on it. "This is a copy of a symbol Derek found painted on the door of the old Hale house. Derek says it means an Alpha pack is here, and they are related to Boyd and Erica's disappearance. We've been looking for them for months, and nothing."  
"I wanted to help with that, but Derek wouldn't even tell me how. He didn't even want me around," Scott said.  
"I know. He's been very secretive. He barely even tells me anything."

Scott looked at the piece of paper and he felt a chill in his body. Something about it gave him a really bad feeling. It could only mean trouble was coming.

"What exactly is an Alpha pack?" Stiles asked.  
"Well, it's exactly what it says on the title," Isaac answered with a condescending tone. "A pack made of alphas."  
"But how does it work?" Scott asked.  
"You know as much as I do. Like I said, Derek doesn't tell me anything. To be honest, I'm not sure he knows."

The three boys looked worried and concerned. Scott was more worried than any of them. He had always felt the responsibility for keeping everyone safe, and he knew he wasn't doing enough.

"We should go," Isaac suggested. "If Derek comes back he'll be pissed."  
"I wouldn't bet on it," said Stiles irritated. "He's on a date. With my sister."  
"Seriously?" said Isaac and burst out laughing. Stiles looked daggers at him, so Isaac, realizing how significant the matter was to Stiles, made an effort to control his impulses to laugh. "I'm sorry."  
"C'mon, let's go," Scott reminded them. "And get ready. We're doing some research tonight."

* * *

Caroline was a ball of emotions. It wasn't easy to describe exactly what she was feeling. She was confused, of course. It is not every day you learn that there's an entirely different world out there, hidden from humans, and that the person you love the most, live with, and do everything for, knows all about it and has kept it a secret from you. She desperately needed to talk to someone. She grabbed the phone and dialed her best friend's number. After ringing two times, an eager Molly answered the phone.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're calling." It was obvious that just seeing the caller ID the girl didn't doubt a second to answer. "I wanna know everything."  
"Well, I don't know how to tell you this," Caroline started to talk, but she interrupted herself. What was she doing? She couldn't tell Molly that her new "friend" was a werewolf. It would put at least one person in danger. She decided she wouldn't say anything. "I was just calling to let you know I won't make it to lunch tomorrow."  
"Oh, really? I thought you were going to tell me all about Derek."  
"Well, nothing happened. I gotta go. Goodnight." She hung up before Molly could ask her anything else.

She realized Molly wasn't the person to discuss the matter with, but she still had the need to talk to _someone_. And who better than the one keeping all the secrets in the house: Stiles.

"_Hello_," her brother greeted.  
"Stiles, I need you in here. Right now," she demanded.  
"_Oh sis, I'd love to. But I'm kind of in the middle of something,"_ he said as he glanced at Scott and Isaac who were frantically looking through a whole bunch of books.  
"You can finish it tomorrow. Please Stiles. A bomb has just been dropped on me, and I'm in some serious need of a talk."  
"_You're right. I just thought Derek would still be there with you._"  
"I asked him to give me some space."  
"_All right, I'm on my way._"

* * *

"Guys I have to go," Stiles told his friends.  
"But Stiles, you're the research genius. We can't do this without you."  
"Well, you will have to. My sister needs me. Because of me, she's now dealing with some seriously heavy crap."  
"Go. We'll be fine," Isaac assured him. "We'll be more than fine." He said as he looked towards Scott with a smirk on his face.  
"You see, Scott. He isn't such a needy teen wolf. That's a real man."  
"Don't push it," said Scott. "And be careful what you tell her," he told his friend as he walked out the door.

Scott went back to scanning a book about lycanthropy, hoping to find something that could be useful. He had a bleak expression on his face, and an intense battle of feelings was brewing inside of him. He felt powerless because he didn't know anything about the evil forces that were rising against them, and he had no way of protecting the people he loved. Isaac, knowing him so well, perceived how conflicted he was.

"Are you okay, Scott?" he asked.  
"Yes," he answered without taking his eyes off the book.  
"Are you sure?" his words met silence. "Scott, look at me."  
"I'm okay, Isaac," Scott insisted. "Just let me go back to this."  
"No, you're not. I know you Scott. And you're definitely not okay. Look at me."

Scott slowly raised his head to look at Isaac. He had never seen Scott so troubled, so somber. He sat down right next to him, and gave him a tender smile.

"Tell me what's going on."  
"I feel like I can't protect you. All of you. Derek has kept me out of it because I asked him, because I want to have a "normal" life. I've been selfish and now I have no idea what to do."  
"This is not your fault. We are not your responsibility. I know you've always felt like it was, but it isn't. You've done so much for me, and taken care of me, more than anyone else did in all my life. You're a caretaker, Scott. But it is not because you have to. It's because you want to. And that's the great thing about you. Yes, we have to find a way to defend ourselves, but we can't let it consume us. So, no more research for today," he said as he took the book and threw it on the bed. He gestured Scott to get up and held a hand to him. "Wanna go for a run?"  
"Whatever you say, boss," he said with a smile. "Thank you. You don't know how much your words mean to me."

* * *

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for not updating in so long. I've been having so many exams I've barely had time for anything. But I'm done with that for a while. Hope you guys like it!**


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